Reader Report: “Third Time’s a Charm” at an Arsenal Game

Groundhopper Guides have helped Andrew & Brooke see three Arsenal games. Unfortunately we can’t affect results, so it took until their third time to see the Gunners actually win. We appreciate Brooke taking the time to write up this “Reader Report.”

Photo of us in front of our seats, perfectly centered to the pitch. (Photo: Brooke Merchant)

Third Time’s the Charm: Arsenal v. Wolves 05/28/2023

Andrew and I used Groundhopper Guides to attend our first ever Arsenal matches during the 21/22 season against Southampton at St. Mary’s and then at the Emirates against Brighton, both of which Arsenal lost. The experiences themselves were amazing, but watching Arsenal lose twice, and then failing to clinch Champions League qualification, was disappointing We knew we needed to go back!

Fast forward to the 22/23 season, where Arsenal made some fantastic signings and were on a winning streak. We decided to look into attending the last match of the season to see all of our favorite players, new signings, and hopefully watch them win!

Beth Mead and Vivienne Miedema on our tour! (Photo: Brooke Merchant)

Touring the Arsenal Stadium

What makes Groundhopper special is that the tickets come with a stadium tour that can be done days before or after the match. The behind the scenes tour at the Emirates in itself is such a special experience. We went everywhere from the Executive Boxes to Arteta’s office, and through the tunnel to the pitch. Even though we had done the tour the year prior, it is fully worth doing every time to fully take in the excitement and history of the club. We decided to go the Friday before, which was the smart choice for two reasons.

As we got to the Emirates we were the first to see the launch of the brand new 23/24 home kit at “The Armoury” which is Arsenal’s merch store. It was elaborately decorated and was such a unique way to experience a kit launch as opposed to impatiently waiting for the photos to come out on Instagram or Twitter.

During our tour, while at the Executive area, you’re allowed to sit in the padded seats to enjoy the pitch from an optimal view. We looked down on the pitch and saw a camera crew and two Arsenal women’s players: Beth Mead and Vivienne Miedema! They were filming something for the women’s team, and it was such a treat to see them with very few others around!

Perfect view to watch an Odegaard free kick. (Photo: Brooke Merchant)

Seeing a Game at Arsenal

The match day itself was truly magical. Arsenal had already qualified for Champions League and were confirmed second place in the table, so the day felt like a huge celebration of the season among all of the fans. As recommended from Groundhopper, we arrived at least 2 hours early to fully take in the environment, walk around to look at the new murals wrapping the stadium, and grab a pint inside. Once the match started it was perfection; our seats were in the second row behind the keeper (in the Clock End) where we witnessed 3 incredible goals coming our way in the first half. When the second half began and Arsenal were looking to score on the other side of the pitch it was just as fun to watch them run the length of the field with a birds eye view.

Granit Xhaka doing lap of honor after his last game for Arsenal. (Photo: Brooke Merchant)

The most exciting part of this match was that the players took the lap of honor with their families to conclude the season. It felt like we had front row seats to cheer them on and send them off for their well deserved summer break. It was extra special as we got to witness Granit Xhaka play his last game for Arsenal, where he scored twice right in front of us. Overall, we were just happy to finally see them win!

I have, and will continue to, use and recommend Groundhopper Guides for all football tickets. Now I can look forward to using them on European nights in addition to Premier League! The impeccable communication prior to the matches, perks like stadium tours and free drink tickets, and guaranteed tickets well before they go on sale for the general public are why I will always choose to go through them!

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